The foie gras debate is heating up as certain protestors have adopted bullying tactics, sometimes illegal, to get their point across. And certain food industry professionals are sick of it. In an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle, Mark Pastore, the owner of Incanto restaurant, condemns the use of "violent rhetoric." Pastore offers several examples of chefs and researchers that have been threatened and bullied by foie gras opponents. These incidents sometimes resulted in illegal actions, including arson and vandalism. He writes:

Sadly, not everyone understands the line between rhetoric and action. Gay bashing, abortion clinic bombings, and the murder of doctors who perform abortions have all been preceded by use of violent rhetoric intended to dehumanize the target. It's not possible to achieve a more humane world by using violent language to score political points. Doing so creates a legacy of hate, not humanity.

There's a reason feedlot beef was included in the Center for Science and Public Interest's <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-terrible-10-worst-aspects_n_1010696#s408669&title=Feedlot_Beef" target="_hplink">"Terrible 10."</a> Raising animals for industrial slaughter can be harmful to the environment (pollution from methane gas), the animals (often raised in tight conditions) and humans (risks of E. coli).